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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23720623">I'll come back for you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/serenamarisa/pseuds/serenamarisa'>serenamarisa</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Emmerdale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, mentions of rape/non consensual</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:16:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,744</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23720623</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/serenamarisa/pseuds/serenamarisa</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Aaron's been confined in a cellar for six years when he finally escapes, but not without leaving someone behind.<br/>Will they find their way back to each other?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>85</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. the escape</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This story is told in the present but flashbacks will be in italics. This is an AU so both of their past story lines will be different.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>"I'll come back for you. I promise."</p><p>Those words rang in Aaron's head over the sound of his panting and his bare feet hitting the concrete below him. He didn't know where he was, he just needed to get to a phone, a station, anything. He needed to find someone and then come back, to save him.</p><p>He sprinted down an alleyway which was walled with moulding bricks and vines when he finally saw a telephone box. Opening the door violently, he stepped into the small room which was covered in cobwebs and desperately dialled the numbers</p><p><em>"999 what's your emergency?"</em> The voice on the other side of the phone asked. </p><p>With a shaky breath and his eyes darting around him to see where he was, he replied, "I'm Aaron, Aaron Dingle. I've been missing for six years. You have to help me."</p><p>---</p><p>The car ride was long. Aaron was full of so many indescribable feelings as he watched the world go past outside the window. Everything was different. He vaguely recognised places, roads and buildings but there was something off about them. He'd grown up, he knew that but the outside world looked so different to how he'd imagined it now in his dreams. So.... boring.</p><p>-</p><p>
  <em>"You know I bet they have flying cars now." Aaron had said one night as they sat on the mattress, their knees and shoulders pressed together.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert scoffed and looked at him through a sideways glance, "Nah, no way."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yeah, I saw it in a documentary." Aaron argued, turning to face him, "They have the physics worked out and everything. They said it would only take a couple of years, you know for the money and the advertisements, building enough to sell 'em."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Okay, okay, I believe you." Robert laughed as Aaron turned back to sit next to him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron played with the hem of his sleeve, one that he had been given when he was first taken. He had a few but the other were ones that Robert had given him, ones he had appeared with a few times after his 'meetings' with Jonathan - the man upstairs. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Maybe, maybe next time you go with Jonathan you can- you can look." Aaron said quietly, looking up at Robert who's smile had dropped. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I don't know, Aaron." Robert was suddenly distant and looked away. "I don't usually get to look outside." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron dropped it, he knew it was upsetting Robert so he changed the subject. The next time it was mentioned was after one of Robert's meetings. He'd come back late so Aaron had fallen asleep without him. He awoke slowly to see Robert climb onto the mattress beside him and he turned to face him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Hey." Aaron whispered sleepily. He noticed Robert always seemed down after he came back, he usually came back earlier but this time he had an unreadable expression. Robert looked up into Aaron's gaze and put his head next to his.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I saw them, Aaron." he whispered, not looking away. Aaron furrowed his brow as if to question what he just said, "The cars, Aaron. You were right." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron felt his lips upturn into a smile, he couldn't help it but Robert's smile was definitely not as big as his. </em>
</p><p>-</p><p>He got out of the police car and was immediately greeted by a woman.</p><p>"Hi, Aaron," she said softly, her eyes were very gentle, "I'm Marissa, I'll be with you for the next few steps of this process."</p><p>Aaron nodded at her and tried to smile but everything was so new and sudden that he couldn't quite comprehend what was going on. He followed her closely into the station where he was met with the hussle and bussle of police officers, detectives and members of the public. He couldn't look anyone in the eye, he was so used to being confined in one space that social interaction was hard and he felt uncomfortable being in a big space. </p><p>He was finally led into a small room which had a table infront of a green sofa. The table had a kettle with mugs and biscuits next to it. Marissa gestured for him to sit on the sofa while she sat on a chair in the corner. Two smartly dressed people walked into the room - a man and a woman. They were both dressed in long coats and had white shirts with dark ties on. The woman sat down on a chair thw other side of the table and the man went to close the door.</p><p>Aaron reached his hand out, "Don't. Don't close it, please."</p><p>The man nodded before sitting down and taking his notepad out of his coat pocket. He started speaking,</p><p>"Aaron, is it?" he asked. </p><p>Aaron nodded. He looked behind the man at the open door and the corridor behind it. He was half expecting Robert to walk around the corner with a Marissa of his own but there were only faint shadows from the traffic in the main area.  </p><p>"I'm DS Wise and this is my partner DS Sanders, we will be the main detectives on your case," DS Wise started speaking. Aaron moved his gaze from the corridor to the detective's.</p><p>"Robert." Aaron interrupted, "Robert he's- he's still there. We have to go and get him." He started to stand up but DS Sanders stood quickly got up and put a hand out.</p><p>"If you don't mind, Aaron. We need to ask you a few questions first." she asked, trying to make him sit down again, being careful not to touch him. Aaron nodded and sat back down, his knee bouncing nervously. </p><p>DS Wise turned on a machine and spoke, "I'm Detective Seargent Jason Wise accompanied by Detective Seargent Anne Sanders and Family Liason Officer Marissa Nance. We are here to interview a male who alleges he's been a missing person for the last six years." he turned to Aaron, "can you please state your name?"</p><p>He stuttered out, "Um- Aaron Dingle. Alleges?"</p><p>Both detectives looked up at him and shared a look with eachother.</p><p>"We have to prove you are who you say you are, I'm afraid." DS Wise gave him a small smile, "Date of birth?"</p><p>"January fifth nineteen ninety two." he replied, looking between the detectives and up at Marissa who gave him a nod.</p><p>"And the date you were taken?" </p><p>Aaron looked at his hands which were hidden in the sleeves of his top. It was one of the tops that Robert had given him. It was too big, the sleeves were way too long but he liked being able to cover his hands - especially when the cellar got cold. </p><p>He bit his lip nervously and fiddled with his jumper. He didn't know the date. It was just a day, the last day he could remember before everything changed. </p><p>-</p><p>
  <em>He was late for school - again. His form tutor had warned him that any more instances like this would mean that she would have to call his mum. His mum never knew of his lack of punctuality. She was always dead to the world or passed out from drinking to even be awake when he left for school and he was always good at hiding the fines that came in the post when he bunked off. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He put his headphones in his ears and sped up his walking, hopefully he would be at school before registration finished. As he turned the corner into the road outside school, his jacket was pulled and his headphones were ripped out. He felt a large hand cover his mouth before he could shout. He tried to fight off the hands that grabbed him but they were too strong.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Suddenly he heard shouting coming towards him and he was quickly thrown into the back of a van. He hit his head hard on something and his eyes blurred but he could make out another figure stood at the back of the van. He was tall and blond and he pushed the man who had grabbed him to the curb. He looked up at Aaron and moved towards him, his arms reached out for Aaron to take but before he could take them, he saw the other man appear behind him and the blond man fell into the van, knocking Aaron back and turning everything dark. </em>
</p><p>-</p><p>"I don't- I don't remember." Aaron finally whispered. </p><p>"Don't worry about it." DS Sanders said, smiling widely, "I'm rubbish with dates too." </p><p>Aaron nodded and looked back down to his hands resting in his lap. </p><p>"What about- What about where you were held?" DS Wise continued slowly, being careful not to push too hard. </p><p>Aaron closed his eyes shut. He tried to remember what he saw when he left, "A- um- a house."</p><p>"How big, how many rooms?"</p><p>A ringing started in his ears and he started fiddling more with his sleeves as he tried to remember, "I don't- I don't know I only saw one."</p><p>"Which one was that, Aaron?" DS Sanders asked gently.</p><p>"The cellar. We were- we were kept down there. We weren't - well I wasn't allowed anywhere else." Aaron explained nervously as he looked back up at the detectives. </p><p>"Who was it who was keeping you down there, Aaron?" DS Wise encouraged. </p><p>"He called himself Jonathan." Aaron whispered, "He didn't give us a surname."</p><p>"Us being?" DS Sanders was looking down at her notepad, writing but Aaron couldn't see what was being written.</p><p>"Robert and me." Aaron explained, looking over at the paper, "He's- he's still there I have to go back and get him."</p><p>"You need to stay with us now, Aaron." she informed him gently, reached her hand across the table.</p><p>DS Wise put his hand out to stop DS Sanders from asking any more questions, "I think we should take a break here."</p><p>Aaron shook his head, "You need to find it. The house- you have to go back and get Robert." He was pleading now and he stood up quickly, causing Marissa to also stand up. He pushed past the detectives and ran down the corridor but immediately bumped into an officer. The officer apologised and walked off but more and more people were appearing and the noise in Aaron's head was increasing. He could hear his name being shouted behind him, phones were ringing and people were talking.</p><p>He walked to the wall and tried to calm his breathing. </p><p>-</p><p>
  <em>"Does this happen often?" Robert asked. He was sat in front of him, his hands rested on Aaron's shoulders as the pain in his chest went away. It was one of the first memories Aaron had of that place. He hated being in the dark, confined space and in the nights, the walls started to close in on him and his breathing would always pick up, sending a wave of pain through his chest and his eyes would start to cloud over. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No just, just recently." Aaron whispered once he'd got his breath back, "I need to get out of this place, Robert."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert wiped a hand over his face, "I don't- I don't know how."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron just nodded and took a deep breath in but the breath out was a sob, "I'm so sorry, Rob." he cried, but Robert touched his chin and lifted his head so they were at the same eye level. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Hey, it's not your fault." Robert reassured him with a smile, "It's his he's - he's sick in the head. Someone will find us. They'll find us or I'll get us out, okay?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron nodded and Robert pulled him into an embrace so his head was resting on his shoulder. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I promise." he had whispered. </em>
</p><p>-</p><p>He was in a different room now. It was less comfortable, the walls had a darker colour and there was a big window behind the table. A small laptop was placed in the middle of the table and DS Wise had a map out in front of him. </p><p>"How long do you think it took you to get from the house to where you made the phonecall to the police?" he asked pointing at a spot on the map.</p><p>"Probably- um - five minutes?" Aaron answered, his mind casting back to the feeling of concrete below his bare feet and the spinning in his head.</p><p>DS Wise nodded and whispered to himself as he circled an area on the map before clicking the keys on the laptop. A bigger map appeared but quickly a pictured of a street appeared, the houses staring back at him. He watched the screen move up the street and he could feel DS Wise's eyes on him as he scanned the screen.</p><p>"Any of these look familiar?" he asked.</p><p>Aaron shook his head. He was quietly berating himself for not looking, for not concentrating on where he was, Robert could be here by now. Suddenly he caught a glimpse of something on the screen.</p><p>"There." he said, loudly as he pointed at the screen. DS Wise moved his hand to the touch pad so that the camera changed it's focus. A garage. It was green and had a white flower painted on it. "I remember I ran past that. Not long after I-"</p><p>"After you escaped." DS Wise finished for him. "So up here?"</p><p>Aaron nodded and watched more intently, scanning the houses. He wracked his brain, trying to remember. It felt like ages ago, him running down the road desperately. He tried to remember the feeling of the road, the strain on his muscles. </p><p>"It's on a hill." he blurted out, "at the bottom, I think."</p><p>A small road off the main one appeared. Elms Road it was called. The camera turned left into the road and it travelled down the hill. </p><p>"There was a gate. A wooden one, I had to climb over it." he continued, watching as DS Wise nodded his head and kept pressing the keys. At the bottom of a hill was an end terrace which sure enough had a wooden gate and small garden behind it. His mind was immediately transported back. </p><p>"Is this the house, Aaron?" the detective asked, looking at him but Aaron's focus was purely on the house. He managed to nod and DS Wise immediately stood up and spoke into his radio. </p><p>"Location found. Twenty Seven Elm's Road, request firearms. Another suspected abducted individual in the house, be careful."</p><p>Aaron looked up as DS Wise was packing the laptop into his bag, "Thank you, Aaron." he said calmly. Marissa then walked into the room, "Marissa here will take you to another room while we go and check out the house."</p><p>He looked over at Marissa who was smiling but immediately changed his attention back to the detective, "No, I'm coming with you."</p><p>DS Wise stopped what he was doing and looked over at Marissa, "Um, I'm not sure that's a good idea."</p><p>"I'm coming with you." he said firmly. </p><p>"Aaron we still need to run tests-" Marissa started but Aaron ignored her and looked back at DS Wise. </p><p>"Please," he whispered, "I need to be there for Robert."</p><p>DS Wise sighed and picked up his laptop bag, "Ok. But do not get out of my car."</p><p>Aaron nodded eagerly and quickly followed him out of the station and into his car.</p><p>---</p><p>The car ride was a lot more tense than the one to the station. Aaron was biting on his fingers, looking out the front window of the car. DS Wise had his emergency lights on so cars were moving out of their way and he was speeding down the roads. </p><p>As they turned left into Elm's Road they were presented with nosy neighbours watching the police and investigator vans parked at the end of the road. DS Wise pulled up to the side of the road and turned to Aaron. </p><p>"Remember what I said." he reminded him before pulling his coat on and walking out, slamming the door behind him. Aaron moved over to the window to watch what was going on. He saw that the front window of the house had been smashed and the front door was wide open. Officers in helmets and suits with guns were walking around inside.</p><p>He watched as DS Wise flashed a card to a woman and walked into the house himself, disappearing from Aaron's view. </p><p>A few long minutes later, Aaron was fed up of waiting. He opened the door of the car and walked towards the house. As he was walking over, DS Wise appeared. He stepped out of the front door and was talking to a woman. They both had a blank expression on their face. Not one that would show they had just arrested a kidnapper. As soon as he looked up and made eye contact with Aaron, he excused himself from the conversation and made his way quickly over. </p><p>"What did I tell you, Aaron?" he said angrily, putting a hand toward's Aaron's chest.</p><p>"Is Robert there? Can I see him?" Aaron asked, trying to walk around the detective. DS Wise shook his head and moved to stand in front of him.</p><p>"Aaron, I'm- I'm afraid it's not good news." he said solemnly.</p><p>He stopped trying to get around him when he saw two people in white suits step out of the front door. They were carrying something behind them. As they stepped further onto the driveway, the thing they were carrying became clearer. It was a stretcher. A stretcher covered in a white sheet and a shape of a person laying underneath the sheet.</p><p>"No." Aaron whispered, suddenly not able to move.</p><p>DS Wise looked around at the house then back to Aaron who's eyes had gone glassy. "They found a body, in the upstairs bathroom. It looks like he's been stabbed." </p><p> "What about- what about the basement?" Aaron asked, trying to ignore the obvious," That's where Robert would be, have they looked in the basement?"</p><p>DS WIse nodded his head, "Yes. But the place has been bleached. There's no fingerprints, no nothing."</p><p>Aaron felt his heart drop. That was <em>their</em> place. </p><p>-</p><p>
  <em>"What does your bedroom look like at home then?" Robert asked one night. He was laying on his back on the mattress and Aaron could see his eyes darting around the dark room. "I bet it has a better design that this one."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron laughed dryly. It was normal of Robert to try and weave jokes into their situation. "It's dark." he replied, closing his eyes to imagine it, "It has grey walls and black furniture. My mum had a fit when I asked for black curtains for my birthday. She said she 'doesn't want me living in a cave'." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"But you got them anyway." Robert laughed quietly. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron nodded and opened his eyes to look at Robert, his smile was fading. "What about yours?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert took a deep breath in "Well, right now my bedroom is the most boring thing ever. You see, my landlord doesn't allow me to paint the walls unless I paint them back when I sell up and that's just too much hassle." he explained a smile started to form on his face again, "but when I was living with my parents my walls were light blue. They had so many stickers of rockets, dinosaurs and trains but  when I got to your age I just covered them with posters of buffy and Michelle Pfeiffer." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron scoffed at the image. Dinosaurs being replaced by semi naked women. "I wish I could have seen it." he said quietly. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert turned his head to look at him but Aaron didn't dare look back. He knew he would get upset if he did. He felt Robert's hand sneak his way into his own and l</em>
  <em>ace their fingers together. He finally looked up into his eyes of emeralds, the ones that made him melt every time. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>-</em>
</p><p>There was a man talking to him. He caught the few odd words but he was too much in shock to listen.</p><p>DS Wise got his attention, "Aaron, they're going to take you over to that van over there," he pointed to the van that the people in white were stood outside, "They need you to confirm who the body is."</p><p>He nodded and followed the man, weaving between all the people in uniform. He got to the back of the van and looked inside. It was pristine white and the stretcher lay in the middle, the top of the body closest to him. The man looked at him and Aaron just nodded back, his heart was beating loudly in his chest as he lifted the white sheet. Aaron closed his eyes tightly and whispered to himself. </p><p>
  <em>Please don't be Robert.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Please don't be him. </em>
</p><p>Aaron opened his eyes and fell to the floor as he saw who it was. Relief filled his body and his eyes filled with tears. He felt DS Wise touch his shoulder and looked up. </p><p>"It's not him," he panted, "It's not Robert."</p><p>DS Wise crouched down to his level, "Aaron do you know who this man is?"</p><p>He nodded and wiped his eyes as he looked back at the body who was being covered with the sheet again, "It's Jonathan."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Apparently I like pretending to kill off Robert....<br/>One day I will write a happy story</p><p>This fic isn't going to be as long as my other multi chapter one, but i hope you enjoy this introduction. Everything will all tie up in the end :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. looking for him</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this is one long chapter, i wanted to split it but didn’t know where haha<br/>i hope you enjoy anyway :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>"So the man you saw on the trolley was the man who kidnapped you?" DS Wise asked.</p><p>They were back in the room with the dark walls and the big window. Aaron had been dazed the whole journey back to the station and had let Marissa do the tests she needed to do. First he was given a change of clothes. He didn't like them though, the material was too itchy. They needed biological evidence that he was in fact himself so he'd done prints of each finger and swabs of his mouth. </p><p>The question was still dancing around in his mind. It was the only thing he could think about. Where was Robert? How did he escape and how did Jonathan die?</p><p>"Aaron?" DS Wise asked, moving his head to catch Aaron's gaze. </p><p>He nodded his head. "Yes."</p><p>"The DNA tests have come back to show that this man was called Logan Cook." DS Wise continued, "Do you recognise that name?"</p><p>Aaron shook his head, still looking down at the table. DS Wise nodded his head and wrote something down on his notepad. "You're doing great, Aaron."</p><p>He didn't feel great. </p><p>"Where's my mum?" he asked, finally looking up at the detective. DS Wise smiled and put his notepad down.</p><p>"She's on her way." he said gently. "Now that your DNA matches, we will have no problem sending you home with her."</p><p>Aaron nodded in reply again. </p><p>"So, this Robert." DS Wise questioned, "Was he on Elms Road with you the whole time"</p><p>Aaron head shot up, "He tried to save me. He knocked Jonathan - um, Logan over and tried to help me but he ended up in the same position." </p><p>"I'll need as many details about him as you can provide." DS Wise explained, "I assume he told you personal details?"</p><p>-</p><p>
  <em>"What's your family like?" Aaron asked. They'd been sat in silence ever since they woke up. Robert had been later back than usual last night which meant that he was quieter than usual too. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert scoffed, "You don't want to know." he looked up at Aaron who just stared back. He sighed "My mum, she- she died when I was fourteen." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron made an 'oh' sound and started to apologise.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Don't be sorry." Robert dismissed, "wasn't your fault. My brother - well adopted brother - he hates me. I slept with his wife, the night before their wedding. He never forgave me."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Does he- does he live in London with you, then?" Aaron inquired.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert laughed again, "No! Andy in the city? He's a farmer. Lives in a tiny village in Yorkshire. I haven't seen him since I left. Or Dad for that matter." he quietened and then looked down at his hands. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Why did you leave?" Aaron continued.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Family stuff. They didn't want me there. Near enough chucked me out of the village." Robert said sadly, "So I started again. In London. I had this new job, White Enterprises. I met my wife, Chrissie there."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron's head quickly turned, "You're married?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert laughed again quietly and shook his head, "Nope, not anymore. We were barely dating and we divorced pretty much straight after we married, turned out she was having an affair with the painter."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron bit his lip, "Karma, I guess. For Andy."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert smiled and looked up. "Didn't stop there though did it?" he looked around the room. Aaron's smile quickly faded and he looked down at his lap. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Oh, god Aaron I'm sorry." Robert apologised, crawling over to him. "I didn't- I didn't think."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He rested his forehead on Aaron's shoulder and hit it multiple times. Aaron pushed him off but held onto his shoulder. He looked like a puppy.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"It's okay, I know." he tried to smile. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>-</em>
</p><p>"He lived in Yorkshire. He has a brother called Andy, or something." Aaron tried to recall, "He - um - he was married." he desperately tried to wrack his brain for the information. Names were lost inside his head.</p><p>"Did he say where he lived? Roughly how old is he?" DS Sanders was there now, she was a lot less compassionate than DS Wise.</p><p>"He lives in a flat, in London. I'm not sure where." Aaron told her, "He's, um, about four years older than me."</p><p>"Any job?" DS Sanders carried on, not looking up from her notepad.</p><p>"White Enterprises." Aaron remembered, "It was his first job."</p><p>DS Wise suddenly started typing on his laptop. Aaron tried to look at the screen but it was facing away from him. DS Wise's face was crumpled and his eyes were darting around the screen. After a minute of scrolling and typing his eyes lit up. </p><p>"Robert Sugden." he announced, turning the screen to face Aaron, "Worked at White enterprises for three years. He resigned the year you were abducted."</p><p>Robert's young face was staring back at him on the screen. He felt his heart pull and butterflies flew around his stomach. He looked up at DS Wise and nodded, "Yeah, yeah that's him."</p><p>DS Sanders started to speak into her radio, repeating Robert's and the company's name. Aaron's eyes were transfixed on the photo on the screen. His eyes were just as green and they shone in the camera, each freckle that Aaron had memorised was bold on his face. The crinkles in his smile had not changed. Aaron wondered how old he must have been when this photo was taken, he looked so young, much more fragile than he had made out to be in the cellar. </p><p>The laptop was turned away from him and he tore his eyes away from the picture, changing his focus back to the detectives. </p><p>"Are you going to look for him?" Aaron questioned DS Wise who was typing quickly. He nodded his head.</p><p>"We will use our systems to find any evidence of him on CCTV cameras, any family members who may have seen him or the general public." He explained, still looking at the screen. Aaron sat back in his seat and nodded, chewing his finger. </p><p>Marissa walked into the room causing them all to raise their heads and look her way. </p><p>"Miss Dingle is here." </p><p>The nervous feeling in Aaron's chest returned and he looked at DS Wise. He nodded at him and stood up, gesturing for him to do so too. </p><p>The walk to the waiting area was long and nerve wracking. As soon as he laid eyes on his mum in the waiting area, she let out a breath and started sobbing. He ran past Marissa and enveloped her into a massive hug. She still smelled the same. Her once long dark hair had been cut and was now a light brown colour but it still felt the same on his face. </p><p>She was still sobbing as they pulled apart and she took his face in her hands and looked at him, her fingers grazing across the stubble on his face. Her smile was so wide and Aaron copied the smile onto his face. Her breath didn't smell of alcohol. Her eyes were blue and the bags under them were barely visible.</p><p>"Hi, Mum." he whispered, still smiling. She let out a sobby laugh.</p><p>"Aaron." she pulled him in for another hug, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."</p><p>He shook his head as he tucked it into her shoulder, "I'm okay. I'm fine now." he tried to reassure her. </p><p>A man walked up to them. He was a large man and had glasses which fit over the side of his nearly bald head. As Aaron pulled away from his mum, she gestured her hand over to the man.</p><p>"Aaron, this is Paddy," she introduced him and Paddy smiled, "My fiancee."</p><p>His eyes widened and he looked down at his mum's hand. Sure enough, there was a big diamond ring on her finger. He let out a small laugh, "I don't know what to say."</p><p>She stroked the side of his head, "Don't worry about that now, love."</p><p>Aaron smiled a small smile at Paddy and then turned around to see DS Wise stood at the door. He cleared his throat and stepped into the room. "Miss Dingle if you would like to sit down."</p><p>-</p><p>
  <em>"What's it like?" Aaron whispered into the darkness, "Getting married." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert was silent for a moment, "It's great, i guess. In the moment, you're so happy and in love, you want to spend every minute of your life with one person and you know that that is the way to do it." he moved around on the mattress but was still facing away from Aaron, "It's meant to be the best day of your life. Surrounded by friends, family, people you love." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron nodded his head, "And marriage? Obviously before you found out about the affair, was it worth it?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I didn't love Chrissie the way I should have." he admitted, "We were young, reckless and thought we were mature enough. I guess, hopefully one day I'll find someone who I'll marry for the reason it's intended for."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron was silent. He'd never thought about marriage. Nobody had ever come close to making him think about marriage. "I think marriage is pointless."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert let out a small laugh, "Why's that?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"It's a piece of paper. Doesn't really mean anything, does it?" He explained, looking over at Robert's back, watching his chest rise and fall with his breathing. He ached to touch him. Sometimes when Aaron touched Robert, he would flinch. Not so much in the daytime when light would come seeping through the cellar door but when it was pitch black and the creaking upstairs had vanished, he wouldn't allow much physical contact if he didn’t seek it out himself.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert nodded slowly, as if to agree with Aaron's opinion, still facing the opposite way. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>-</em>
</p><p>"Leeds?" Aaron asked, looking up at his mother. DS Wise had informed them that they would need Aaron close so that they could bring him back to the station so they had rented out a small apartment just outside the station. It would save them having to travel from Leeds. </p><p>"We, um, when you went missing." Chas explained, "I couldn't- I couldn't stay here."</p><p> Aaron looked down at his hands and the teared skin that was peeling at his thumbnail. </p><p>"I sold the house, moved to Leeds where I got a job as a cleaner." she continued, "A really nice B&amp;B. Where I met Paddy, actually."</p><p>Aaron looked up at Paddy who smiled back at him. He sounded nice. Definitely was nice to his mum but he dreaded the idea of getting to know him. Someone who could get in the way of mending his relationship with his mum. </p><p>"And of course you can go back there, once we are further on the case." DS Wise reminded them, giving Aaron a smile of his own, "By all means you can go to the apartment now but we will need you to come back if we need any more information from you."</p><p>Aaron nodded and looked up at his mum. "Up to you." she said softly. </p><p>"I need to get out of here." he said to her. She nodded and held his hand, bringing him onto his feet.</p><p>"Let's go, then." she whispered and kissed his temple," "Thank you, detective."</p><p> </p><p>The flat was a little two bedroom apartment on the bottom floor of a tall building. A police officer had driven them thee and then proceeded to escort them into the house, away from any press reporters with their cameras and questions. Once they were inside, the officer stood outside the door and encouraged them to go away. </p><p>"I know it's a little dark but we don't want them sticking their noses in, do we?" Chas said as she closed the living room curtains, shielding them from the flash of cameras. Aaron just nodded and looked around the room. The kitchen was quite small, it could probably only fit one person and the main living room just had a sofa, a table and a tv. </p><p>"So," Paddy started speaking. He put his bag down on the table, "I'm starved, I don't know about you two." </p><p>Aaron didn't even look at him. He walked over to the bedroom doors, both of them were closed. With a creak, the door opened to reveal a small box room with two twin beds and wardrobe. There was a long mirror hanging on the wardrobe door and Aaron walked slowly towards it. </p><p>He stopped in front of it and looked at his reflection. </p><p>-</p><p>
  <em>"Ow!" Aaron hissed as the blade scratched his cheek. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Shit, sorry." Robert apologised, wiping away the blood that appeared on his skin. "I'm not exactly a pro."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>His face was so close to Aaron's. He noticed how little facial hair he had but he mostly noticed the shape of his lips and the way they were perfectly rounded. They were currently slightly parted due to Robert's concentration on shaving Aaron's beard. He also noticed the freckles. He had lots of freckles on his arms but they were all over his face, too. His beauty almost took Aaron's breath away, even in the dark cellar his face was perfect and he longed to see him with the sun in his face.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Don't worry about it." Aaron whispered ever so quietly, focusing intently on Robert's face. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>After a few more minutes, Robert sat back and eyed him. He frowned and scruffed up Aaron's newly cut hair. "Not too shabby, if I do say so myself."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron laughed, "Maybe you're just cut out for this hairdressing malarkey. Even if I do need to take your word for it. "</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Nice pun."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He shook his head at his own accidental pun and looked at the scissors which were discarded on the floor. "When are you going?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert turned his gaze towards the scissors himself. Picking them up, he sighed and looked towards the locked door, "Soon. I said I'd give them back after I'd finished."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron nodded and hung his head. Most of the time when Robert recently went upstairs for his meetings, he would bring something new down. Sometimes it would be clothes that they could keep but sometimes it was a blanket or a fork that they could eat their tinned food with that he would have to take back. Robert had said that it was a reward for them being quiet. In this case it was a knife and scissors so that they could shave and cut their hair. Robert had requested apparently. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Look." Robert said as he stood up, taking the knife from beside him. Aaron followed him with his eyes as he walked over to the wooden post and lifted the knife up to it. He positioned the sharp side of the knife on the surface of the wood and pressed it down so that the wood splintered into a vertical line. He then brought the knife back up to the top and drew a semi circle sideways next to the original line.  Aaron stood up and walked over to where he was as he drew the last diagonal line.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>R</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert handed the knife to Aaron. He brought the knife up to the right side of Robert's drawing and imprinted his own. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>R     A</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Every time they got the knife after that, the initials of everyone they loved were carved into the post. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>-</em>
</p><p>They had pizza. Paddy had the american hot but pretended he didn't notice the spiciness of it yet continued to keep refilling his glass. Aaron chose Margarita, the easiest thing on the menu but he couldn't eat it so he picked the cheese off instead. </p><p>"You don't like it?" Chas asked from the other side of the table, noticing the full pizza in front of him.</p><p>Aaron shrugged, "I'm not really hungry."</p><p>"But you love pizza." Chas continued, moving her hands across the table. </p><p>Paddy whispered a warning to her quietly and Aaron just rolled his eyes. "I'm just not hungry, okay?" </p><p>She sighed and suddenly stood up, "How about some ice cream?"</p><p>Aaron dropped the piece of cheese he was holding and rubbed a hand over his face, watching Paddy quietly eating his pizza. </p><p>The doorbell rang and Chas let out frustrated sigh, slamming the freezer door shut. She mumbled as she walked to the door making turn his head. The door opened and DS Wise was stood there in his long, grey coat. Aaron immediately stood up, his heart thumping in his chest. DS Wise stepped into the apartment and nodded at Aaron, then at Paddy who was wiping his hands on a napkin. </p><p>"Sorry to disturb," he started, "but we're going to need you to come to the station."</p><p>"Why? What's- what's happened?" Chas asked from behind him.</p><p>DS Wise sighed and looked up at Aaron, "We have new evidence regarding Robert's role in your abduction."</p><p>Aaron laughed, in shock, "What do you mean, his role? He was taken - like me.”</p><p>"I'm afraid we have video evidence which shows otherwise."</p><p>-</p><p>
  <em>He was alone, again. The cellar got even colder when he was alone and there was no light coming through the crack in the door. He'd had a headache for ages now and sometimes he would feel so cold but wonder why he was sweating. He assumed it was winter time. He would imagine what he would be doing at that moment, if everything was normal. Him and his mates would probably be out sledging somewhere dangerous, down an icy hill by the bins or on the skate ramps at the skate park. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He wondered what they were doing. They were older now, probably left school, maybe even at universities. He wondered if they ever thought about him, if they wondered where he was. Even after all this time. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The lock on the door rattled and Aaron jumped. He moved to the corner of the room, tucking his legs in front of him, his heart was beating in his ears. This happened a lot and it would always be Robert who appeared through the door but it always scared Aaron that he would see Jonathan's face through the darkness instead. Footsteps continued towards him and finally a familiar figure appeared. Aaron let out the breath he was holding and relaxed his tensed muscles. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You've been gone long." Aaron whispered, still sitting in the corner of the room.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert didn't say anything, he just sat on the other side of the room by the wooden beam. The one with the initials scratched into it. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Did he give you anything?" Aaron asked him, moving towards the other side of the room, on his hands and knees. Robert shook his head and looked down into his lap, wiping his eyes.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No, he didn't." Robert whispered, sniffing, "I'm sorry."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It was then when Aaron noticed the marks on Robert's wrists. He gasped and took them into his hands. They were pink and had deep lines close to the joint of his hand, "Robert, your- your wrists." he spoke, moving his fingers over them.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>But Robert pulled them away harshly and covered them up with the sleeves of his jumper. Aaron slowly sat back on his knees and looked at Robert who was still staring down at his hands.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Did he do this to you?" he whispered.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert ignored the question and instead stood up, going to walk over to the mattress but Aaron grabbed his arm, spinning him around to face him. "Robert, talk to me." he said a bit louder, making Roberts eyes widen in shock. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The floorboards started to creak upstairs and the light turned on outside the door. Robert's hand flew across Aaron's mouth and he held him still so he couldn't make any noise. They stood there frozen and in complete silence, staring at each other before finally, the floorboards creaking got further and the light disappeared. Robert let go of a breath and removed his hand from Aaron's face, letting him breathe. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Are you trying to get us both killed?" he whispered harshly causing Aaron to feel a pang of guilt go through his chest. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert didn't sleep on the mattress that night. He lay on the floor on the other side of the room, facing the wall. Aaron watched him fall asleep as he lay awake, tears falling from his eyes and landing in droplets on the hard mattress below him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>-</em>
</p><p>Everything in Aaron's heart wanted him to deny it. He wanted to say that the video was wrong, it was marked with the wrong date or something or the man just looked very similar to Robert. </p><p>"Aaron, can you confirm that the two men in this photo are your abductor and the other suspected abducted individual, Robert Sugden." DS Sanders asked him, pointing at the frozen  video. </p><p>They were in a different room. Not the one that he saw first or the other dark room he'd been in. This one had a green colour to it and the rest of the department were outside the window, all on computers. It was someone's office. </p><p>His name was repeated again. </p><p>He nodded, watching as the screen quickly turned to black. He felt DS Wise sit in the chair next to him, "You mentioned in our first meeting that Robert was allowed out of the cellar. Did he tell you where he went?"</p><p>"He, um, he had meetings - with Jonathan." Aaron recounted, "he brought things back; blankets, forks, books." </p><p>"Did he ever tell you when he'd left the house?" DS Sanders asked from the other side of the table, "because from these CCTV videos it shows that he left the house on more than one occasion." </p><p>Aaron closed his eyes and shook his head. "No we didn't- we never talked about it."</p><p>DS Sanders reached for the controller and the screen turned on again. she pressed record on the tape and pressed play on the controller. A pixelated video appeared back on the screen and played. DS Sanders spoke. </p><p>"This video shows Robert walking into a shopping centre at 15:47 in Stratford in the year 2011, two years after he was allegedly abducted. He is accompanied by Logan Cook - the man you confirmed as your abductor." she pressed a button and the video fast forward, "Here is another clip of the same day at 16:09. Robert is seen - alone - going into the men's toilets."</p><p>Aaron looked at DS Wise but he immediately looked away, back to the screen. DS Sanders continued.</p><p>"He is then seen leaving the men's toilet, alone." she turned to face the other detective, "DS Wise, for how many minutes is Mr Sugden alone in the toilets for?"</p><p>DS Wise sighed, "7 minutes"</p><p>DS Sanders put her hands down on the table in front of Aaron and looked at him, "7 minutes. 7 minutes is a long time, Aaron. He could’ve alerted someone about his situation, he could’ve run." </p><p>Aaron just looked down at his lap. He refused to believe it. </p><p>"We are on your side, Aaron." DS Wise said gently, "We just don't believe that Robert is the man you think he is."</p><p>Aaron looked up at him,, "Maybe he- um- maybe Jonathan was waiting outside for him. He couldn't run."</p><p>But DS Sanders turned back to the screen, pressing the play button. "The next clip is from another CCTV camera, on the same day, showing Robert actively looking for your abductor and leaving the shopping centre with him."</p><p>The video played. It showed Robert in a crowded area, looking around. He started walking towards where the camera was but stopped at a bench in the middle of the area where a man was sat. It was Jonathan. Jonathan then stood up and took Robert's hand before they both exited the shopping centre. </p><p>"Aaron, the last clip shows Robert and Cook at a pharmancy." DS Sanders said quietly, sitting down and reaching for something, "buying these." She pulled out an evidence bag containing two small square packets. They were both ripped open. He knew what they were.</p><p>Aaron felt sick.. He put his head in his arms and rested them on the table. "The same size and and brand were found in Cook's bedroom earlier on today." she finished.</p><p>"No, no, no, no." he repeated to himself quietly. This can't be happening. Robert hated Jonathan. He wanted them to run, to get out of that place. He  wouldn't have lied.  There must've been an explanation. </p><p>"Aaron I know this is a lot to take in but we need as much information on Robert as we can." DS Wise said next to him, “We need to know where he's gone. He's not a missing person anymore, he's a wanted criminal."</p><p>Aaron head shot up, "What? What you think he was in on everything? That he planned it?"</p><p>DS Wise sighed, "We can't know for sure. There is no video evidence of the abduction so we're relying on your memory of how it happened."</p><p>Aaron scoffed, it was almost as if they didn't believe him. "And Jonathan's death. You think he planned that too. Why would he help me escape if he was the one who abducted me in the first place?"</p><p>"We think maybe they had a row over something. Maybe Robert was fed up of trying to keep the secret so he let you go." DS Wise explained, "Then when Cook found out what he did, they got into a fight and Robert stabbed him and then took off."</p><p>DS Sanders then looked at Aaron, "Where did you say Cook was when you escaped."</p><p>Aaron tried to think back. It was all a blur. All he could remember was Robert rushing him out of the cellar and over to a window but only Aaron was able to get through. He remembered the promise he made. "I- I don't know. Out, I guess."</p><p>"So he could have been dead before you escaped." DS Sanders finished for him. "Which further indicated that Robert killed him."</p><p>"He wouldn't do that, he's not a murderer." Aaron argued, looking between the detectives, "No he wanted to come with me. Jonathan must have attacked him first, it was self defence."</p><p>DS Sanders stood up, "I'm sorry Aaron but we need to make sure we are on the safe side." She picked up her radio and spoke into it, "We need to put out posters, advertisements, anything. Robert Sugden is a wanted criminal under the suspicion of abduction, perverting the course of justice and murder."</p><p>Aaron jumped from his seat and shouted, "He's not a murderer! Stop! He's missing! You can't arrest him!"</p><p>DS Wise grabbed him from behind and tried to sit him back down but Aaron kept on screaming. He picked up the pieces of paper on the desk and threw them at the ground in a rage. He pushed laptop off the desk and watched it smash on the floor. He felt two hands behind him pulling him back again but his legs gave way and he fell to the floor in a heap, tears spilling from his eyes.</p><p>-</p><p>
  <em>Sometimes Aaron would lay there staring. Robert would toss and turn in his sleep, his cold feet always kicking at Aaron's legs but it usually meant that Robert would end up facing him, his face illuminated by the minimal light seeping in. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He always had his mouth slightly open as he breathed deeply in his slumber. One time, Aaron had even reached out to touch his face, to see how it felt on his fingers. It was smooth, his complexion almost perfectly designed. The first time he did it, Robert had woken up so he quickly pulled away and pretended to be asleep. He knew it hadn't worked though. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The next time he did it, Robert kept his eyes shut but slowly smiled.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Are you touching my face?" he whispered, his eyes still closed. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron carried on, the skin gliding under his fingertips, "No. Must be imagining things." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>His eyes flew open and laughed softly at Aaron's own smile, "Feel's nice." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Don't get used to it." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron moved so his arm was holding his head up. Robert turned onto his back to look up at  him, Aaron's fingers still caressing his face. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Robert?" Aaron whispered, his fingers moving down to where Robert's lips were. His heart was beating so fast and his breathing was hitched.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yeah?" came the answer.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Can I kiss you?" Aaron asked quietly, his eyes darting from Robert's eyes and down to his mouth. Robert didn't say anything, instead he just nodded, his own eyes watching Aaron’s. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron slowly lowered his head so it was hovering over Robert's, his heart rate increasing. His eyes fluttered shut as their lips touched softly. He carefully pushed more weight down onto Robert's lips and closed his slowly. Every emotion flooded through Aaron. Relief, happiness, confusion, love. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He pulled away just as slowly as he had leaned in and opened his eyes to see Robert opening his own. They looked at each other for a second, their faces just a few centimetres apart before Robert moved his hand to the back of Aaron's neck and pulled him back down, kissing him harder. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>-</em>
</p><p>When Aaron woke up, he was back in the room with the green sofa. The kettle and the biscuits were still untouched on the table. He suddenly felt really thirsty and sat up, realising the blanket that had been thrown over him.</p><p>He slowly sat up and moved his legs over the side of the sofa. There was nobody in the room with him. The cameras in the corner of the room weren't flashing red this time, he assumed that meant that they were off. </p><p>As he made his way towards the main area of the station, he passed a bulletin board. There he was staring right back at him. The photo that he had seen on the laptop of Robert's job profile. He tried to remember what had happened before he fell asleep. He could remember the videos, the sickness that rose in his throat as he realised what Jonathan and Robert had done. </p><p>"Aaron." a voice came from behind him. He turned to see DS Wise and a woman with brown hair stood next to him. She was very pretty. Her hair was long and wavy and her coat looked expensive. "Aaron, this is Chrissie. Chrissie White."</p><p>Chrissie smiled at him and put her hand out to shake but Aaron just looked at it. She was not what he imagined she would look like. Instead he turned his attention to DS Wise, "What happened, when did I fall asleep?"</p><p>"You were upset yesterday, very sleep deprived too.  We thought it would be better if you stayed here, saves your mum and Paddy worrying." he explained before pointing to the room he was just in, "Chrissie and I would like to have a conversation with you."</p><p>Aaron was wary but he agreed, turning around to walk back to the room, looking at the photo on the bulletin board again.</p><p>"Hi, Aaron." Chrissie said softly as they all sat down in the room. Aaron looked back at the cameras which were now flashing red. "I assume you know who I am."</p><p>He nodded, he didn't want to make eye contact. He'd created a vision of a horrible person in his mind, the person who had some of Robert's heart once. He knew that if he looked at her, she would just turn out to be a normal, nice woman. </p><p>"Do you know where he is?" he asked quietly, only stealing small looks at her face. </p><p>She stuttered, "No. no I don't."</p><p>"Why are you here then?" he snapped back. </p><p>She breathed in quickly, as if she was scared of him. "I wanted to meet you. See how you were."</p><p>"It's a shame you didn't want to know how your husband was." he snarled, looking up at her, "for the last <em>six years." </em></p><p>DS Wise put his hand out and Chrissie looked shocked. "Aaron, what Chrissie came to do was explain."</p><p>He looked up at her but she was looking at her lap, holding a very expensive handbag. "If I'd known what had happened, I swear I would have tried to do something. I thought he'd- that he'd left the country. I wasn't surprised after what I did to him. I told his landlord and he stopped the lease." she explained, "He'd quit his job, there was no record that he was missing from anywhere. His friends, his family, they all believed the same as I did. We just- we didn't think." </p><p>She had started to cry now, Aaron almost felt sorry for her. "I agree with you," she continued wiping away tears, "I don't think he killed that man. Not without a reason, he wouldn't kill someone in cold blood, or kidnap someone either." </p><p>Aaron shook his head, trying to stop his own tears from pricking at his eyes, "He wouldn't."</p><p>"Aaron I'm only asking you this because of the evidence we found in Cook's bedroom and the fact that we would have to run a lot more tests on you depending on your answer." DS Wise started speaking next to her, "Did you and- Did you and Robert, Did you ever-" he was stumbling over his words, "Did you ever engage in any sexual activity? I would have asked you yesterday but you were in such a state-"</p><p>He shook his head quickly, "No. No we didn't." </p><p>DS Wise sighed and stood up, "I'll go and tell Detective Sanders." </p><p>Aaron ran a hand through his hair but let it rest on his face, leaning his elbow on his knee. Chrissie was still there, he could hear her sniffling. </p><p>"Do you love him?" she asked after a moment of silence. He looked up at her. Her eyes were soft but her smile had faded. </p><p>He thought about it. He'd never been in love before. He'd never told anyone he loved them. But for the last six years, he'd been with someone who did his best for him, who made him feel safe when he was close to breaking point, who gave his freedom for him and never <em>ever </em>used it against him. </p><p>"Yeah," he replied quietly, "Yeah, I do."</p><p> </p><p>It had been months. They'd followed lead after lead but each one left them with nothing. Aaron was getting counselling, he needed to adjust back to life in the real world. He got a job, working as an apprentice at a garage in north London. His mum and Paddy had moved there early on, despite their fears of it being too much for him -being close to the place he was held hostage, but he preferred being near the station so he could get updates on anything moving forward in their investigation. </p><p>Aaron and Chrissie had become friends. It was weird, but they bonded over the fact that they both believed Robert was innocent. DS Wise also had his suspicions, he believed Aaron but his professional opinion had to come first. </p><p>It was a Wednesday. Aaron had gotten the day off work and he was sat watching TV in the flat he lived in with Chas and Paddy. The graphics on the screen were so much better than before and he hadn't quite gotten used to it. The phone rang and he stood up to get it, his mum asking for who it was from her bedroom.</p><p>He picked up the phone and greeted them. </p><p>"Aaron?" DS Wise's voice came from the other side, "We think we've found where Robert is."</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thanks for reading! feel free to ask any questions</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. the truth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>CHAPTER WARNING for mentions/implications of rape and non-consensual, please read with caution.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>
  <em>"Aaron, Aaron wake up!" Robert shouted, he was running down the stairs leading down to the cellar. One thing was different. The door at the top was open. Robert rushed over to where Aaron was sat in the corner, he must've fallen asleep waiting for Robert to come back. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert grabbed Aaron;s arm and pulled him over to the stairs, quickly hurrying him up them and letting him lean on him when he lost his footing. Once they got to the top and to the door, Aaron's eyes squinted. It was so bright so soon and his couldn't handle it. Robert was still holding onto his wrist and pulling him through a door. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>They finally got to a small room, much smaller that the cellar but a lot brighter. It had one sofa and a television on the other side, they ran past the television and Robert pushed open a small window at his eye level. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Quick, jump up." he ordered quickly, stepping back to let Aaron go in front of him. Aaron was speechless, his whole world had been turned upside down and he'd forgotten how to move. "Aaron, come on." Robert insisted, pushing him towards the wall. There was a chair underneath the window that Aaron stepped up onto, he could feel Robert's hands guiding him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He jumped from the chair and struggled as he pulled himself through the open window. Once he'd gotten through, he looked around. He was lying on a patio lined with plant. He looked ahead and could see another house across a road that was attached to another. There was a ringing in his ears and he suddenly felt lightheaded. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>A yell from Robert snapped him out of his thoughts. He quickly moved so he could see down back into the room. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Robert!" he whispered . "Robert come on." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He was sat on the floor, his head was lowered and shaking. He looked up and he had tears in his eyes. "I can't, my ankle."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron saw the chair was now lying on it's side, one leg missing. He must've lost his balance and damaged his ankle somehow. "Come on, Robert. You can do it." Aaron encourage him, reaching his arms back through the window. "Robert try to stand up for me, please." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert nodded and swayed as he tried to stand up on one leg, wincing as he moved the other. He grabbed onto Aaron;s arms to hold himself steady and tried to jump, yelping in pain as soon as he foot left the ground. Aaron pulled more on his arms but he didn't have the strength.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I can't, Aaron." Robert panted as he held Aaron's hands to his face, "I can't do it." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You can you just need to jump higher." Aaron cried, his breath getting shaky.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I can't- you're just going to have to go without me." Robert insisted, trying to push Aaron's arms back out of the window. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron shook his head and scrambled to take Robert's hands, "No. No! I'm not leaving you here!" he sobbed. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Go! Aaron, please." he winced again as pain shot up his leg, "Aaron please, just go. Go to the police, find somewhere safe." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron pulled Robert's hands to his lips and gently kissed his knuckles, making them wet with tears.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I'll come back for you. I promise." he whispered and Robert nodded, a watery smile on his face.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>-</em>
</p><p>The sirens were wailing and the lights were flashing as they sped down the motorway at dusk. DS Wise was driving and DS Sanders was still talking into he radio in the passenger seat. Aaron was sat nervously in the back, his foot tapping on the ground.</p><p>They'd had a breakthrough on the case. Not only did they find out that Logan had a brother but that it was a twin, too. Identical. The fingerprints found in the house were so similar and the DNA in the house wasn't tested as they already had a body which was identified. The brothers were in the house at the same time. They were both there during the six years that Aaron and Robert were. This information was not shared with Aaron until DS Wise had called him that day to tell him that they'd found a lead - a house in a commuter settlement outside London that used to belong to their mother. DS Wise and DS Sanders had picked Aaron up on the way.</p><p>Fields went by quickly as they left London, Aaron's heart rate was not slowing down. The butterflies in his stomach were present more than ever and DS Wise's warning words weren't helping. </p><p>"We don't know for sure he's there Aaron." he said firmly, looking over at Aaron in the back seat, "And if he is, we can't be sure that he's still-" he decided not to finish the sentence. </p><p>Alive. He knew what he was going to say. There was an inkling of doubt nagging in his brain. What if this brother hadn't given Robert any mercy and killed him? There were so many what ifs. Aaron just hoped against hope that he was there, he was alive and he would forgive him. For not coming back sooner.</p><p>They drove down a long road to a house. The path was surrounded by trees and the house was in the middle of a clearing, police cars had already surrounded it and officers were swarming the building. It was wooden and had a decking around the outside. There were a few steps up to the front door of the house and it looked like a fairytale tainted by his knowledge of what was actually happening.</p><p>Aaron quickly jumped out of the car and ran over to where they had formed a line in front of the house. He could see the people in suits coming out of the door then a man escorted by two policemen. As soon as Aaron saw the man, his stomach lurched. It was Jonathan - a weird mixture of the image he had in his mind. It was all so confusing in his brain and he hadn't had time to properly digest the information. Was it two men all along? </p><p>The man saw Aaron and smirked, before being pushed into the back of a police car, making his blood run cold. He teared his eyes away as he tried to get back the line of officers. </p><p>"Is he in there?" Aaron shouted but the officers infront of him held him back, "No I need to see if he's in there." he shouted, trying to push them away. After a few attempts of trying to break free, he looked up and froze.</p><p>His eyes landed on blonde messy hair, the hair he used to run his fingers through as they slowly slipped into sleep. His eyes were rimmed with dark circles as they squinted in the darkening light of the day. He was holding onto a woman's arm as he limped out of the door, wincing in pain.</p><p>Aaron couldn't breathe, his heart was thumping in his chest and he could feel tears pricking at his eyes. He used all of his strength to push the officer away and rushed towards the steps that Robert was walking down.</p><p>"Robert!" he cried as he made his way quickly over to him. He saw the change in Robert's face when he turned and made eye contact, his eyes widened and his face relaxed, a relieved smile spread across it. Aaron was sobbing as he ran and wrapped his arms around Robert, breathing in the smell of his hair as his nose tucked into the side of his neck. He could feel Robert wobble a bit underneath his hold but he soon moved his hands so that they were on Aaron's back. </p><p>Aaron leaned back so that he could see Robert's face. His hair was long at the front and hanging over his eyes. Aaron brought his hands up to wipe the hair away so he could look properly into them.</p><p>"I'm sorry." he whispered, not looking away, "I'm sorry I-"</p><p>"You came back for me." Robert interrupted quietly, shaking his head in disbelief and a small smile tugging at his lips. Aaron nodded quickly and smiled back before pulling him closer again.</p><p>"I'm never leaving you again." he promised. </p><p>They stayed like that for a few moments before Aaron quickly remembered and pulled back, holding onto Robert for support. "Robert listen to me, they're going to arrest you." he quickly informed him, not looking into his eyes and turning his head to see DS Sanders hastily making her way over towards them, "You have to say you haven't done anything wrong, okay? I can't lose you again." </p><p>Before Robert could answer or even comprehend the information, DS Sanders pushed her way in front of Aaron and looked towards Robert, "Robert Sugden I am arresting you on suspicion of abduction, perverting the course of justice and murder." she said as she took his arms and held them behind his back, Aaron was pulled away by DS Wise, pleas leaving his mouth as he saw Robert hang his head and nod.</p><p>"No, you- you can't." he pleaded but  DS Sanders carried on. </p><p>"You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court." she told him as she walked him towards another police car. </p><p>Aaron tried to go with him but DS Wise restrained him as he was taken towards the car. Robert turned his head, smiled and nodded to Aaron as if to assure him before he was put in the back of the car. </p><p>-</p><p>
  <em>"What's the worst thing you've ever done?" Aaron whispered into the dark room. Robert's head was resting on his shoulder as they lay on the mattress. He turned his head to look up at him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"What do you mean? Like morally wrong or legally wrong?" Robert asked, going along with it and resting his head back into Aaron's shoulder. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron shrugged, "Either."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert shuffled so that he was laying more on his front than on his side. He lifted his hand so it was resting on Aaron's chest and drew circles onto the material of the shirt with his fingers. "I've punched a few people." he admitted</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron scoffed, "Is that the best you can do?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I think that sleeping with your brother's wife - to -be is pretty bad!" Robert laughed. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Okay, fine." Aaron relented, "I forgive you." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"What about you?" Robert asked, still playing with the fabric on Aaron's chest, "Were you one of those lads who would shove a freddo in their backpack at the corner shop and call it burglary?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron laughed at Robert's accurate description of most of the boys in his school. "Nah, not freddos. Me and my mates, we used to take food out of the bins, walk down a busy street and intentionally bump into people. The food would go everywhere and they'd give us money to compensate."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert let out a small laugh, "That's- That's actually really clever." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Got caught in the end though. Police officer watched the whole thing." Aaron sighed, "Community service for ten days." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert looked up at him quickly, a small smirk showing on his face, "Aaron Dingle, you criminal."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>-</em>
</p><p>Robert was sat in the dark room. The greeny coloured one with brick and a big dark window. DS Wise and DS Sanders were in the room with him, introducing themselves and what they were going to ask him. </p><p>Behind the window was Aaron. He was in a small room with about four other officers and members of staff, watching through the window - it was only a one way window so Robert couldn't see the people behind it. There were screens in the small room that Aaron was in, showing the different angles of the cameras in the interrogation room. The main one was zoomed into his face, his pale, tired, scared face as he listened to the detectives. </p><p>Aaron was relieved that Robert was alive, he was more than relieved. He didn't want leave him, he couldn't let him go to prison. He stood in the corner of the small room, looking through the window behind the detectives and listening to their recorded conversation through the microphone. </p><p>DS Sanders spoke after turning on the recording, "I am Detective Seargent Anne Sanders accompanied by Detective Seargent Jason Wise. We are interviewing a male who has been arrested on suspicion of three counts, abduction, perverting the course of justice and murder. Would you please state your name?"</p><p>Robert cleared his throat and spoke, "Robert Sugden."</p><p>DS Wise leaned his arms on the table, "Mr Sugden, is it true that you were held captive in Mr Logan Cook's basement along with Mr Aaron Dingle for six years?" </p><p>Robert looked down at his hands which were fiddling on his lap, he nodded, "Yes."</p><p>"And is it a fact that you were indeed allowed out of the cellar regularly?" he continued, prompting Robert to respond. He nodded.  "Were you also, on occasion, allowed out of the house, Mr Sugden?" </p><p>Robert whispered a small "yes." and Aaron found himself short of breath. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears and he really needed to get out of the room. He needed to stay though, he needed to hear the truth from Robert, no more lies or twisted theories. He gulped and looked behind him to lean on the table as he continued to listen. </p><p>"What did you do on these occasions?" DS Wise asked.</p><p>Robert gulped and stuttered, "We- we um, we would go out. I don't- I don't know where." </p><p>"Stratford Mall." DS Sanders interrupted him, "We have footage of you and Mr Cook in Stratford shopping mall on multiple occasions."</p><p>Robert nodded again, his eyes focused on his lap. </p><p>DS Wise spoke, "Robert, we need to know the truth. Did you help organise the abduction of Aaron Dingle on May 18 2009?" </p><p>His head shot up and he looked between the detectives, "No I- I didn't, I swear." he quickly answered, DS Wise nodded his head, "I- I was walking past the school, Grampian Road, and I- I heard someone shout. He was- he was trying to put Aaron in the back of his van so I knocked him over but he- he got up and then... we were in the cellar."</p><p>The detectives looked between each other and DS Wise turned to face the window, almost as if he knew he was looking right at Aaron. </p><p>"What happened on Elms Road, Mr Sugden? Why did Cook trust you enough to leave the house with him?" DS Sanders continued, writing down notes as she spoke. </p><p>"It wasn't just him." Robert whispered, tears were starting to form in his eyes. </p><p>DS Wise looked at DS Sanders and back to Robert, gently speaking, "Robert, the man who was in the house with you today, he was on Elms Road with you too?" </p><p>He nodded and wiped at his eyes before looking back to DS Wise, "He liked it. He liked the feeling of being able to control me even when we were in public. I think he was lonely, that's why he tried to take Aaron, but as soon as there were two of us - it was a completely different situation." he explained sadly, "He would take me to the shop, to the beach, to places you are meant to have fun and to be free but the whole time he would tell me- he would say that if I alerted anyone, if I even moved wrong then his brother- his brother was waiting back at the house." his voice started to wobble, "He said he would hurt him. He would hurt Aaron." Robert let out a quiet sob but tried to cough it away as he sniffled.</p><p>Aaron could feel tears of his own prick at his eyes as his heart sat heavily in his chest. He couldn't look at Robert anymore, he felt too guilty. Guilty that his own actions had caused Robert to feel this way. If only he'd been quicker to get to school, if he'd gotten up earlier or walked with a friend. This wouldn't have happened. He played with the sleeves of his top as he listened.</p><p>"Did Mr Cook or his brother ever try to hurt you Mr Sugden?" DS Sanders asked, her voice was a lot less business-like, almost as if his confession had gotten to her, "Did either of them force themselves on you in any way?"</p><p>Robert looked away, not down at his lap this time but almost behind him, as if he was trying to hide his face completely. Aaron's heart was rapidly beating inside his chest, he knew the answer, deep down he knew the truth but he wanted to hear Robert say it. </p><p>"Yes." came the whispered reply.</p><p>Aaron felt sick. He leaned over and put a hand over his mouth. His tears were falling from his eyes and he closed them shut. He could hear the officers in the room shuffle and whisper to eachother but it was just white noise. Then, Robert's voice rang through the microphone again.</p><p>"The first time, he- he just wanted sex. He knew Aaron was only young, so he asked for me." Robert explained slowly, "So we would- we would have sex, and he would give me things. Books, blankets, cutlery - he called them luxuries. But one time- one time after we'd, you know, I was looking for medicine. Aaron he was- he was sick, he kept burning up and I- I needed to get him something to help. So I was looking through his bathroom for pills when he caught me. He pulled me back to the room and he- he tied my wrists to the headboard as he-" Robert lifted his wrists onto the table to show the red marks and sighed. "I never got the medicine." he chuckled lowly, but nobody was smiling.</p><p>The guilt in Aaron intensified and he gripped onto the table behind him. </p><p>"Mr Sugden, are you aware that Logan Cook is dead?" DS Wise asked after a moment of silence. Robert nodded but then quickly shook his head,</p><p>"But I- I didn't kill him." Robert insisted, "They had an argument, the day we left. Logan's brother- he said he didn't want to do it anymore, he couldn't keep his secret. But Logan got violent, they started fighting and left me alone in the bedroom."</p><p>"So you helped Aaron escape." DS Wise continued for him, "Your ankle. You hurt it so you couldn't climb through the window with him."</p><p>Robert bit the inside of his cheek and nodded, "I knew Logan would be angry and if his brother backed out then he would kill us both. I just wanted Aaron to be safe."</p><p>Aaron saw as DS Wise nodded in understanding and he looked back through the window, a sympathetic smile on his face. Aaron wanted to be in there with them more than anything, he wanted to hold Robert's hands and help him through it, he wanted to hold him and tell him everything will be okay - just like he had done before. </p><p>DS Sanders cleared her throat, "So Logan's brother killed him - the man who's house you were in today." she detailed, writing it down. </p><p>Robert nodded, " I don't know what happened, I could barely walk so I just stayed by the window. It was- the house was silent and I didn't know what to do. I thought he was going to kill me." his voice wobbled as he recalled his story, "But then his brother appeared, he was- he was covered in blood. He told me he'd killed him, he'd killed Logan and he was going to save me, that he wanted me to be free." he hung his head and let out a breath, "and I believed him."</p><p>Aaron's heart pulled in his chest and he regret every single moment he doubted that Robert was innocent in all this, when he would sit on his bed late at night and think of all the possible situations that could have happened and those few times he'd let himself imagine that Robert was capable, that the whole time they were together was just an act.</p><p>"So he took you to the house on Elliot Avenue?" DS Wise asked, breaking the sombre silence. Robert nodded in reply and DS Wise cautiously continued, "What did you do there? Was it the same as on Elms Road?"</p><p>"He told me we were going to the police." Robert explained, letting out a huge breath, "He said he was going to turn himself in. I don't know I guess I was feeling woozy from my fall but I fell asleep and the next thing I know, I'm back in a cellar. Alone." </p><p>"And he- he didn't let you leave this cellar?" DS Sanders questioned.</p><p>Robert shook his head. " He wasn't like his brother he- he didn't use me for anything. He just chained me there and talked to me, as if we were mates. He said he was scared. That he didn't know where to go or what to do. He didn't want to go to prison but he didn't want to kill me. So he hid me. He said that after a while- after a while people would forget about me. They would stop looking."</p><p>Aaron had had enough. He stormed out of the room and into the empty hallway. He leaned against a wall and held onto his chest as his lungs heaved and he let out a sob. He felt so guilty, for leaving him there. He felt guilty for not looking for him more in the last few months, that he had to go through all of that alone, thinking that nobody would ever find him. Still trying to breathe, he made his way to the men's toilets and stumbled into a cubicle. He sat down on the closed toilet and breathed, trying to calm his mind and his body. </p><p>-</p><p>
  <em>They were sat up against the wall, their hands intertwined and their knees leaning against each other. Robert moved away, removing his hand from Aaron's. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Cross your legs." he ordered, pointing to the space in front of him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I'm sorry, what?" Aaron laughed, narrowing his eyes. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert just kept on pointing to the space in front of him, urging him to move. Aaron finally relented and sat in front of him, showing his hands as an act of surrender. "What now?" he smiled.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Close your eyes." Robert whispered, smiling. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You have to close your eyes too, Rob." Aaron quickly said before shutting his eyes completely, "I'm not sittin' here like some weirdo."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Shut up, Aaron." Robert laughed as he closed his own eyes, just missing Aaron sneakily opening his own to watch him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert started talking. Saying stuff about breathing, in and out. He was talking about beaches, about hammocks and waves. Aaron didn't listen. He watched as Robert spoke and the way his eyes crinkled a bit when he smiled. How his eyelids twitched every now and then and how deep his breaths were getting. His hair was hanging over his forehead and he imagined what it would look like in the wind, whether he usually gelled it back or not. He shouldn't. His hair naturally fell beautifully. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron couldn't resist the temptation and quickly kissed Robert's lips before sitting back where he was and closing his eyes, pretending to be unaware of what happened. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Your eyes are meant to be closed." Robert feigned annoyance but Aaron could hear the smile.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"They are." he shrugged cheekily, but knew his own smile was giving him away.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>There was no reply and they both sat there, listening to the silence and following each other's long, relaxing breaths. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>-</em>
</p><p>When he made his way out of the toilets, he saw DS Wise and DS Sanders outside the interrogation room discussing something as they looked down at their notepads. He sped up as he walked over to them and called DS Wise's name. He spun around to face him. </p><p>"Ah Mr Dingle." he greeted as DS Sanders also turned to face him. </p><p>"What's going on?" Aaron asked, clearing his throat and pointing towards the closed door.  </p><p>"Mr Sugden is just talking to a family liaison officer. The recording will be sent to a solicitor to determine the charges." DS Sanders filled him in.</p><p>"Charges?" Aaron asked, confused.</p><p>"There most likely won't be any towards Mr Sugden," DS Wise explained quickly, "His story will be compared with Cook's and we will see where it goes from there." </p><p>Aaron nodded and chewed on his bottom lip. He looked towards the door and then back to his feet. "Where is he going to go?" </p><p>"We need to run tests. Probably call in a nurse to check him over, his ankle hasn't been seen to and it's been months." DS Sanders explained as she put her radio in her pocket.</p><p>"And then what?"</p><p>"Call his wife? He doesn't have anywhere else to go." DS Wise shrugged and sighed, glancing over at the shut door. </p><p>Aaron shuffled on his feet, he was nervous but he knew what he wanted. What if Robert didn't want it too? What if Robert did want to go back to Chrissie, back to his old life? "He can come home with me." he blurted out, causing both detectives to look at each other anxiously.</p><p>"Aaron are you-" DS Wise started but was interrupted by the door opening and a blonde woman stepping out. She made a surprised noise at the sight of all three of them stood by the door.</p><p>"How is he?" Aaron asked eagerly, he recognised her from the small room he was in earlier. </p><p>"Still in shock, I think." she replied gently before turning to the detectives, "The tests?" </p><p>"Yeah they're coming to take him soon." DS Sanders told her and she nodded her head in response.</p><p>"You should go in." The woman told Aaron, "He was asking after you."</p><p>He gulped but felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder. The lady smiled at him and moved away from the door so he could go through.</p><p>As he pushed the door slowly open, he could see the blacked out window he was just stood behind and the reflection of Robert was looking back at him. He was curled on the chair, his hands fiddling with each other on his lap. He looked so small.</p><p>Aaron quietly closed the door behind him, trying to make as little noise as possible. He slowly walked further into the room towards where Robert was sitting and he gently pulled a chair to sit next to him. He made sure not to touch him though. </p><p>"I'm guessing you heard all of that, then?" Robert mumbled quietly. </p><p>Aaron just nodded. </p><p>Robert sniffled and wiped a tear from his face, "You must hate me. For not telling you." </p><p>His breath hitched but he swallowed it down and Aaron shook his head in disbelief.</p><p>"I don't. I could never." Aaron said softly, "Robert, everything you did - you did it for me. You lied because you had to. To protect <em>me</em>. To keep <em>me </em>safe. If I'd known what he was doing to you then, I don't know what I would have done. Something stupid, probably and we'd both be dead." he let out a breath of  dry laughter and was relieved when he saw Robert's lips upturn into a small smile of his own. "You saved my life. You saved my life and I could never hate you for that."</p><p>Robert glanced at him sideways, his eye glassy with tears.</p><p>"Robert I-" Aaron stuttered, "<em>I love you.</em>" His heart fluttered as he said the words out loud and he scanned Robert's face for a reaction. </p><p>Robert's face crumpled and he lifted his hand to cover it as he started to cry. Aaron scooted his chair closer and softly placed his hand on Robert's back, hoping that he wouldn't flinch or run away. Robert immediately leaned towards him and rested his head on Aaron's shoulder, crying silently. Aaron moved his hand so it was stroking the back of his neck, his fingers brushing through his hair. He kissed his head softly and rested his cheek on it, still soothing the back of his head. </p><p>-</p><p>
  <em>"When did you know you liked boys?" Robert asked quietly. They were facing each other on the mattress, waiting for the call for Robert to go upstairs. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron shrugged, "Few years ago. I tried kissing my mate while dating this girl."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert noticeably cringed. "He didn't take it so well, I'm guessing."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"He was fine with it. Used it against me sometimes, after I came out." Aaron explained, shrugging, "In a friendly way, obviously"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Robert nodded. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"What about you?" Aaron asked, looking up at Robert's eyes, "You ever been in love with a guy?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He scoffed, "In love? No. One boy I liked though, this guy at my school. God, this brings me back."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Old man." Aaron joked, poking his shoulder. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"He had this Pokemon. I wasn't really into all that nerdy stuff back then." Robert explained, "I sat next to him in class and every day he would show me a new Pokemon. I literally woke up every day, wondering what the new Pokemon would be." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Aaron sniggered, "You had a crush on his Pokemon, then?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Shut up." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Then the rattling of the lock sent a chill up their spines, breaking their conversation. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>-</em>
</p><p>The car door slammed shut and Aaron startled awake. He adjusted his eyes to his surroundings and realised they were back at the flat. His mum was walking up to the door, key in her hand. </p><p>He looked down to his right to see Robert's head resting on his shoulder, his hands resting on Aaron's lap. Aaron slowly stroked the side of his face, waking him up. Robert mumbled as he squinted in the light, lifting his head from Aaron's shoulder. </p><p>"We don't have to go in if you don't want to." Aaron reassured him, "We can do whatever you want"</p><p>Robert took Aaron's hands and gave him a small smile, "It's fine, Aaron. I want to go in." </p><p>Aaron nodded and he opened the door, climbing out and taking Robert's hand. He helped as Robert limped to the door, holding his arm and letting him lean on him. The nurse had checked it over and given him a support bandage to help the pain. He needed to go back to the hospital in a few days but DS Wise had convinced them that going home was the best idea for now. </p><p>Robert was introduced to Aaron's family. Paddy was awkward as always and Chas was the over - bearing mother, constantly offering tea. Aaron politely shut her down though and she got the hint. </p><p>They walked slowly into Aaron's room and he helped Robert sit on the bed. </p><p>"Not much." Aaron commented, looking around the room. "I'm going to move out though, once I have enough money." </p><p>He could see Robert's eyelid's dropping and his breathing slowing so he carefully sat down next to him, putting his arm around his shoulders. </p><p>Robert leaned over so his head was resting on Aaron's lap, letting him massage his head gently. </p><p>"Aaron?" Robert whispered, tilting his head to look up at him. </p><p>"Yeah?" Aaron whispered back, using his fingers to move his hair away from his eyes. </p><p>"I love you, too."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>thank you to everyone who has read this fic and left feedback! it means a lot to me.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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